WPIAL sends 14 wrestlers to PIAA Class 3A semifinals, including all 4 at 215 pounds
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Friday, March 7, 2025 | 6:40 PM
Kiski Area’s Cooper Rocosky wrestles Manheim Central’s Brodie Daugherty during the 215-pound quarterfinals at the PIAA Class 3A wrestling tournament Friday at Giant Center in Hershey.
Butler’s Santino Sloboda is helped from the mat by Northampton’s Gabriel Ballard after his first loss this season at 127 pounds during the PIAA Class 3A wrestling tournament Friday at Giant Center in Hershey.
HERSHEY – The 215-pound weight class from the WPIAL lived up to its reputation Friday afternoon as all four quarterfinalists were winners.
That guarantees the WPIAL a champion Saturday at the Giant Center.
The four wrestlers from the WPIAL were No. 1 through No. 4 in PaPowerWrestling rankings.
Belle Vernon junior Elijah Brown, ranked No. 1, defeated St. Joseph Prep’s John Boggs, 15-0, in 1:47.
He’ll face Mon Valley rival John Conroy of Ringgold, who defeated Notre Dame Green Pond’s Connor Smalley, 17-9.
Brown (46-1) is 2-1 this season against Conroy.
Kiski Area junior Cooper Roscosky, who is ranked No. 2, defeated Manheim Central’s Brodie Daugherty, 9-4. He will face Central Catholic’s Roman Thompson, 8-6. He scored a takedown with 40 seconds left to snap at 5-5 tie.
The WPIAL advanced 10 others to the semifinals.
The Thomas Jefferson senior trio of Maddox Shaw (152), Bode Marlow (172) and heavyweight Shepherd Turk all won.
Latrobe seniors Leo Joseph (121) and Luke Willochell (133) advanced.
The WPIAL has three wrestlers in the 133-pound semifinals: WPIAL and West Regional champion Nico Fanella of Indiana and Canon-McMillan junior Collier Hartman, who will face Willochell.
Peters Township sophomore Nicholas McGarrity (107) and Connellsville sophomore Kai Vielma (139) and senior Evan Petrovich (152) also advanced.
The WPIAL also had 12 others win in the blood round to earn medals.
Two previously unbeaten WPIAL wrestlers, Hempfield junior Nico Kapusta (114) and Butler junior Santino Sloboda, (127) suffered their first losses.
Kapusta dropped a wild 13-12 decision to Whitehall’s Willmont Kai. Kapusta then lost in the consolation round.
Sloboda was 46-0.
The semifinals for Class 2A and 3A boys and the girls start at 7 p.m.
Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.
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